If these are the problems many dreaded when the Edmonds School District planned the first high-school merger in Snohomish County in 15 years, then Edmonds-Woodway Principal Rainer Houser is ready for new challenges. By all accounts, the blend has been a success.

The district felt it could save money and broaden class offerings by combining two medium-sized high schools. Initially, there were concerns the coupling of the two schools might prove troublesome.

"I remember in a lot of merger meetings, it was the parents who would freak out a lot, and the kids would just sit back and say, `We'll be fine,' " said senior Angie McGuire, 17, a volleyball and basketball star.

But thanks to Houser and a committee made up of administrators, teachers, parents and students, the transition has gone as smoothly as a well-prepared-for quiz.

Not that there weren't a few rough spots. Most feel the district played it smart by bringing Houser on a year early to engineer the planning of the 1,400-student Edmonds-Woodway High.

Students at Woodway thought they'd be heading for Edmonds, but the School Board instead decided Edmonds students would move.

"People say a building's not important," said Jami Zahnow, 18, a former Tiger and one of Edmonds-Woodway's student-body co-secretaries. "But I still drive by Edmonds and feel that bond there."

The thought that their city could be without a high school bearing its name prompted Edmonds City Council members and Mayor Larry Naughten to urge citizenry to action. Finally, the steering committee opted for the dual name, doomed the Tiger to extinction and decided to keep all five colors of the two schools.

At Edmonds-Woodway, officers were chosen from each school to represent the merged student body during the first year. The district began holding joint events last year.

By the time the year started, the biggest problem was overcrowding and former Edmonds students trying to find their way around their new campus.

"In the end, it was the kids who really, day by day, took hold of it and made it a success," said Principal Houser.

One reason is that many were once classmates at College Place Middle School. They said teary goodbyes when they were promoted, then decided whether to attend Edmonds or Woodway. And the rivalry began.